Skip to content
Beetle Wings Could be the Future of Tyre Technology
A new discovery found in a flying beetle has shed light on how its wing changes shape in flight using an unusual bell-shaped structure, which is compliant in one direction but almost ten times stiffer in the opposite direction.
Results have shown that the structure is an effective one-way hinge that achieves functionality using a single material with no extra mass. The use of the insect-inspired hinge in applications, including easily assembled modular designs, adaptive airless tires, and metamaterials with zero Poisson’s ratio, suggests that the structure can have biomimetic applications over a considerable size range.
Mechanical ‘hinges’ and associated asymmetric bending and twisting are widespread in insect wings and, whilst operating in flight, these hinges allow the wings to deform automatically and asymmetrically between the upstroke and downstroke. They also control the precise, complex patterns of folding and unfolding in the hind wings.
The hinge has many potential biomimetic applications. Firstly, we created a modular design that could easily be assembled and disassembled, followed by a design for an airless tire, which could have numerous applications across a number of sectors.
Tinius Olsen supplied a 1ST UTM equipped with a 500N loadcell, which not only performed the required tension and compression testing but could also be used in combination with the custom setups developed by the University team.
To read more follow the link...
https://www.tiniusolsen.com/new-material-advancements-engineered-from-beetle-wings/
Other news
From Sheep to Seaweed
Damage to the world’s oceans by the use of plastic rope within the aqua-culture industry is well documented. With raw materials of eco friendly options, such as manila and sisal, difficult to acquire in the UK, the humble sheep may prove to be the answer.
From Trash to Major Interstate Repair
How many tonnes of recycled glass would it take to build an emergency support for one of the busiest four lane highways in the world?
Introducing Vector – the Future of Extensometry
Tinius Olsens’ new VectorExtensometer is real a step change in extensometer technology, capable of replacing multiple contacting and non-contacting sensors with a single, industry specific instrument.
Elevated Temperature Testing Systems from Tinius Olsen
Elevated temperature mechanical testing has always played a key role in the development of new materials that need to withstand extreme conditions, such as with additive-based superalloys.
Tinius Olsen Helps Drive Automotive Sustainability Through Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology
The race to meet net zero is hotting up as the development of alternatives to battery power start to come online. Tinius Olsen is currently supporting one of them alongside the UK’s leading developer of hydrogen fuel cell technology, Intelligent Energy.